The aire stayed quiet until 05:45, from when the traffic on the adjacent road gradually increased. We dropped down alongside the river for a few miles then along quiet, pretty roads, first in a rocky valley then through dense woodland with the odd small town along the way. In one of these we found a boulangerie and bought quiches for lunch which we had in a shady, forest layby. As we neared the Provence region the roads had frequent, narrow stretches through m...

As we wake we lie watching the sun creep down the mountainside lighting up the colours in the rocks and signalling another warm day to come. We use the service point before leaving, but an airlock in the water tank blows back and Ali gets a big soaking. Our drive takes us over a gorge, then down its steep sides on a road limited to 25mph in places. In the massive valley are smaller mountains and a few waterfalls. Once we leave the gorge and the high alps,...

We got up planning to leave but decided the alpine air was too good to not stick around and enjoy. N+G went off on the motorbike and we wandered into town. The road runs alongside a fast flowing stream, although in melt-water time it would be a torrent. Kayaks and rafts tumble downstream and every now and then a minibus with trailer passes by to fetch them at the end of their run. The town is a quaint muddle of narrow lanes flanked by chalet houses with...

Our second bad night's sleep in 3 days doesn't put us in the best of moods this morning. We don't bother to visit the farm shop before setting off for the High Alps. The road from Pinerolo starts as a gentle, continual climb, but soon we are passing through small towns with chalet buildings and overhanging balconies which are a bit of a hazard in a tall vehicle. Further on the bends get tighter and when we come up behind a tractor the locals get impatient and ...

After the busy few days and late nights we slept in a bit. Warm bright morning as we set off to Beauvais to get diesel and LPG. All commented on radio how good to be back in France with its gorgeous rolling countryside. We drove alongside the River Aisne to Jaulzy and stopped for lunch in a passion we had visited last October. Our journey continued towards Reims where we stopped on the remains of the old racing circuit. Again somewhere we'd been last year, b...